Francesca "Frankie" Sutton (Vivica A. Fox) is a Los Angeles bank teller who witnesses a robbery. Although she had no prior knowledge of the robbery, the bank fires Frankie after the police uncover a connection between her and one of the three robbers. Frankie goes to work at Luther's Janitorial Services with her three best friends, Lida "Stony" Newsom (Jada Pinkett Smith), Cleopatra "Cleo" Sims (Queen Latifah), and Tisean "T.T." Williams (Kimberly Elise). Luther (Thomas Jefferson Byrd) treats them with disrespect and pays them paltry wages. Cleo states that they should rob a bank themselves. Frankie agrees, but Stony and T.T. are reluctant. However, when Stony's younger brother is gunned down by the police in a case of mistaken identity and T.T.'s son is taken away from her by Social services because she cannot afford to take care of him, they too now have the motivation to join the robbery.